Yesterday in France Islamic terrorists struck a cowardly blow to freedom when they massacred 12 unarmed and innocent people, mostly journalists at a French newspaper. Their supposed justification? Because these journalists had used cartoons to lampoon terrorists and to "blaspheme" the so-called prophet Muhammad.

I don't care if the journalists mocked Muhammad, Allah himself, or the terrorists' own mothers. Violence against another is never justified by any verbal, printed or caricatured provocation, regardless of how insensitive, crass or supposedly "blasphemous."

If you, or I, or Jews or Mormons or Muslims or Blacks or Hispanics or whoever don't like what someone else says or prints about him or her or their religion, race or ideology, they have one legitimate recourse only: To counter verbally or in print. That's it.

Killing your critics is — to put it mildly — a wildly inappropriate response. (And also pretty doggone good evidence that you're a complete idiot and that your ideology is totally false.)

But that's what they did, these three prime examples of human excrement. In the name of Allah, and to ostensibly avenge their beloved Muhammad, they barbarically executed 12 unarmed people, including several journalists. By doing so, the terrorists sent a message to the world that if you criticize them or their prophet, you're a target. They have directly attacked freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of conscience — freedom in general.

There is only one appropriate response to this abominable act of terrorism.

To sit back and simply verbally condemn such savagery, such an awful affront to freedom, is utterly unacceptable. To simply pursue and eliminate the three assassins is entirely inadequate.

This is the only appropriate response: All freedom-loving governments and people must ﻿rally together to seek out and destroy Islamic extremism, wherever and however it rears its despicable, Satanic head.

Yes, we must destroy Islamic extremism. I listened to a Muslim commentator today who tried to deflect the blame away from Islam, and insisted on calling the responsible devils simply "terrorists", instead of "Islamic terrorists." He claimed that there are extremists in all religions. Perhaps there are. But other religions don't spawn terrorists anywhere near to the the degree, in terms of numbers and nastiness, that Islam does.

I don't often agree with atheist Richard Dawkins, but he was right on when he tweeted after yesterday's massacre that "all religions are NOT equally violent. Some have never been violent, some gave it up centuries ago. One religion conspicuously didn't." What religion was Dawkins referring to? Islam.

No, I do not believe the common refrain that Islam is a peaceful religion. Sure, there are a lot of "peaceful" Muslims — Islamic adherents who don't commit acts of terror. Those that engage directly in terrorism are a pretty small minority. Nevertheless, I see no widespread outrage towards, condemnation of, or fight against terrorism by the Muslim masses. Instead, what I see is widespread silent complicity — amidst frequent Muslim mobs celebrating 9/11 and other terrorist acts against innocent people the Koran identifies as "infidels". What I see are Muslim groups and countries funding terrorist organizations. What I see is support for the depraved devilish doctrine of jihad. What I see are countless horrific examples of Muslim persecution and executions of religious and ethnic minorities. What I see are extremists using Islam to justify barbaric behavior.

The radically repugnant Islamic Cleric Anjem Choudary tweeted this after yesterday's massacre: "Freedom of expression does not extend to insulting the prophets of Allah, whatever your views on the events in Paris today!"

Hogwash. Absolute, utter hogwash. Freedom of expression does indeed extend to insulting Allah and Muhammad. Islam doesn't teach that, of course. Islam requires corporal punishment, even in some circumstances death, for so-called blasphemy. If Islam were a peaceful religion, Muslims wouldn't react violently to such perceived insults, affronts or blasphemy. Instead, Islam would teach people to turn the other cheek, to forgive and forget.

There is, however, one unforgivable offense. One provocation that must never, ever go unpunished: To willfully deny people their God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Insofar as these terrorists shed innocent blood, and deprived those they murdered of life and liberty, so should they, and those that enabled, trained and commissioned them, be deprived of liberty and life.

But that's not nearly enough. Eliminating the foul symptoms of the disease of Islamic extremism is only a temporary solution. Whenever and wherever Islamic groups and governments seek to expand their numbers and powers and to deprive people of liberty through oppression, intimidation or violence, they should be strenuously opposed, even deposed where possible, by those who wish to maintain and to extend the blessings of freedom to mankind.